Fireworks
by LZClotho
Summary: Emma and Regina and fireworks at the Storybrooke waterfront.


**Author's Note:** I offer this up as my gift to the Swan Queen nation. Not counting these notes and summary, this story is, fittingly, exactly 2,013 words. May we all have a happy, healthy, and safe start to 2013!

**Summary:** Emma and Regina and fireworks at the Storybrooke waterfront. Rating: K+.

**Fireworks**

The morning after Christmas posters appeared all over town promising a fireworks celebration to ring in the new year.

On the eve of the new year, everyone hurried to the waterfront park. In thirty minutes it would be 2013. However, everyone noticed there were no barges laden with explosives floating in the harbor. There were no stands on the shoreline ready to light. The fairies were queried upon their arrival. Each shook her head. The dwarves had not mined any more fairy dust diamonds. So how exactly were there going to be fireworks?

Cheery greetings and waves were exchanged, but puzzlement persisted. Others were questioned as they arrived. Snow and Charming, arriving in David's pickup truck, had not summoned them. No one in City Hall had hired fireworks technicians. The frustration that they were staying in Maine and not returning to their old world was past, but the day-to-day running of a town hadn't yet fallen back into smooth patterns, since Snow and Charming lacked Regina's familiarity with the process.

In her thick dark green Sheriff's coat, golden hair hidden under a black wool cap, Emma Swan entered the waterfront park. Her hand rested easily on the shoulder of her eleven-year-old son, Henry. She smiled easily though her cheeks were reddened from the night breeze. Henry bounced so much he hardly felt the chill.

As they walked, Emma searched the growing crowd. Movement caught her attention beyond the reach of the harbor lights. She nudged Henry in the opposite direction toward the pier. "Henry, catch up to your grandparents. I gotta see about something."

His eyes flicked up to hers, conveying the same curiosity in his question. "Are there really going to be fireworks tonight, Emma?"

"You said it's tradition, right?" She nudged his shoulder. "Go on."

Henry looked askance at her, sensing a secret somewhere in her words. Emma nodded for him to go. Finally he turned away and disappeared into the crowd.

Emma waited until she saw Henry break out of the mass of bodies and run up to Snow and Charming standing in the deferential position of honor, front and center. Her parents greeted their grandson with hugs and laughter before they tucked him between them. All three turned to look out over the water.

Her son taken care of, Emma walked along the edge of the crowd, accepting a few greetings. "Good evening, happy new year," she replied and kept moving.

Exiting the lighted area, she paused to let her eyes adjust. A moment later her quarry appeared.

"You're late." Dark brown eyes glanced toward the harbor. Regina Mills paced in a dark coat, dark stockings, and dark heels. The brunette was trying to go unnoticed and doing a fairly complete job of it.

Emma stuffed her bare hands in the pockets of her own dark coat and shrugged. "Took me awhile to convince Henry to come."

"But you did."

"You know I did." She nodded in the general direction, where Regina's gaze had already turned with laser-like focus. "He's front and center."

Silence fell as Regina watched Henry, and Emma watched Regina. Finally the brunette turned and spoke, looking at some point past Emma's shoulder. "Henry loved the fireworks when he was little. I wanted to celebrate each year I had him in..." Regina trailed off.

"In your life," Emma finished. She held out her hand. "Then let's do this."

A shock passed through both women when their hands touched. The magic elemental to Emma swirled purple around their fingers. The women shared a secret smile. Their mutual grip tightened briefly before slipping apart. Regina turned to face the harbor. Emma's hands slid to the brunette's upper arms.

Regina lifted her hands toward the harbor. She took a deep breath, then released it. A pale blue stream of light shot into the sky and blossomed into a starburst over the water. The sight was greeted by gasps and shouts of delight. Emma distinctly heard the cheer-filled "There! Look!" of Henry. She spotted him leaping away from his grandparents and pointing skyward. Regina's concentration remained on her hands. Emma nudged her cheek against Regina's to draw her attention for a moment to their son. Brown eyes flickered in that direction and shapely lips curved into the briefest of smiles.

Regina soon turned back to what she was doing. Emma's attention, too, returned to the woman essentially cradled in her arms. Regina's eyes glistened and there was a very non-magical and loving glow in the brown eyes. Emma pressed her mouth to Regina's ear - she told herself it was so they couldn't be overheard. Another starburst obeyed the magic of their joined effort. This one was sunshine yellow.

"Show him how much you love..." Emma's voice trailed away as she was caught by the silken tickle of Regina's hair on her lips. She pursed her lips against Regina's ear, an absent-minded kiss.

A massive red burst noisily exploded overhead, startling both women. The crowd's cheers drowned the sudden rush of blood pounding in their ears. Emma's hands slipped to the woman's belted waist, feeling the brunette's frame pressing all along her front.

Overhead, the red burst gradually faded, leaving only twinkling starlight. A moment later the darkness was filled again with rainbow colored ribbons dancing through the sky. Henry's voice could be heard over the gasps of awe by his two mothers smiling through their tears.

In the glow of the fireworks, Emma studied Regina's face. The various colors reflected on the woman's tawny skin, casting her face in a chaotic mix of shadows and light, as multi-layered as the woman herself. She didn't think she had ever seen such a breathtaking sight. The smile curving her bow-like lips made her even more beautiful. Emma's gaze shifted to the delicate fingers tracing shapes in the air, orchestrating the fireworks. Emma's entire body vibrated with their shared magic. She wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist. Despite the thick coat she still felt Regina's stomach muscles jump at the intimate contact.

"Regina." Emma breathed the name against the satin throat as she inhaled lavender and apples.

A swirling multi-hued curtain of light flowed over the harbor, a magical replica of the Aurora Borealis. Then Regina was turning in Emma's arms. Brown eyes lifted to meet hers, sparkling with magic and glittering with tears.

"Em-" Regina didn't finish before Emma's mouth pressed to hers.

Body flowing with warmth, Emma stroked up and down Regina's back, coaxing a response with her lips and tongue darting to taste and explore. The sky over the harbor erupted in white light, a continuous waterfall lighting the sky longer than any previous display.

When that light faded, Emma slowly pulled back to gaze into Regina's eyes, content to let her soul drift. Regina, too, seemed relaxed in their shared touch, lifting her hands to Emma's shoulders.

Suddenly applause erupted in the crowd, whistles and whoops of awed appreciation. Emma stepped back and blushed until she realized with a quick look around that no one was looking at them. She didn't have time to say anything before shouts of "Happy new year!" accompanied the midnight chimes of the library clock tower.

"Happy new year," the women whispered to one another just before their lips met again in a first taste of the new year's goodness.

"Emma! Emma!" Henry's shouts coming toward them quickly broke the women apart. Stepping into the light, Emma held up her hand and stopped Henry in his tracks with a big smile.

Emma glanced at Regina looking over her shoulder at Henry, her features drawn in anxiety.

"Hey, Henry, Nice show, huh? I told you there'd be fireworks." Henry was staring at his mom. Emma heard Regina's throat clear. Quickly she explained, "Regi - your mom wanted to do something special for you."

Henry spoke to his mother. "You made the fireworks?" When Regina nodded, he jumped at her making her fall back a step. Emma started to intervene until his words registered. "Wow! Amazing! They were all so colorful and big! But that last white waterfall one was incredible!"

The women exchanged quizzical looks. Regina turned back to Henry. "Well, that last one wasn't... strictly speaking... mine."

"I let her use a little of my magic, Henry," Emma protested.

"Dear, I had stop casting the fireworks," Regina said. Henry tilted his head at Regina in question then turned the same look on Emma.

Snow and Charming emerged from the flow of humanity leaving the waterfront park. "There you are, Henry!" Snow smiled Emma. "Oh, Emma!" Then she noticed the former mayor. "Regina."

"Snow," Regina replied. Emma's hand slipped over hers. Both brunettes looked at the blonde.

"Nice fireworks, huh?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I didn't know you had handled the planning," Snow said. "No one did."

"Regina and I did it... for Henry."

Snow followed Emma's nod to Regina then Henry, but said nothing.

Emma continued filling the silence. "Regina told me how she and Henry came out here every year to see them. I told her we should find a way to make it happen."

Henry turned to Regina. "You used magic?"

"I helped," Emma insisted. Henry and Snow frowned at her. "She didn't coerce me, if that's where you're thinking of going with this."

"But Emma -" Snow however was shut down once again by Emma's lowered brow before the blonde turned back to her son.

"Stop it! You liked them!" Emma admonished. Regina had turned away, her shoulders hunched, starting to leave.

"Mom?"

Regina stopped and turned at Emma's tug on her coat arm. "Yes, Henry?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Emma bumped her shoulder. Regina rolled her eyes. "Miss Swan..." Regina's tone held annoyance; Henry laughed.

Charming stepped forward now at a pointed nod from Emma and took his wife's hand. "Time to go home."

"Henry, come on." Snow reached for her grandson's shoulder. Emma held him in place with her own hand. "Emma?"

"We're gonna walk Regina home," Emma said. "See you for dinner."

"Dinner?" Snow asked.

"I'll call you," Emma said. "Good night. C'mon, Henry."

Henry grabbed her hand. "Did you really use magic, Emma?" he asked, studying her hands.

Emma reached toward Regina as she turned her other hand in Henry's grip. "Yeah."

Instead of taking Emma's offered hand, Regina tucked hers into her coat pockets. Emma ignored the woman's attempt at distance, however, and threw her arm around Regina's back.

"Miss Swan..."

"Regina, my name's Emma." Mischievously she added, "We just made magic together. I think that means we should be on a first name basis."

Regina looked from Emma to Henry's curious expression, then back to Emma. She felt a desire to challenge the stubborn glint in green eyes. However, the tingling memory of their kisses and the remembered comfort and warmth of being in Emma's arms won out. "All right. Emma."

Brazenly, Emma kissed the tip of Regina's nose. Regina rolled her eyes despite the tingles that slid through her chest. Emma's eyes twinkled with unspoken laughter, clearly aware of the effect she was having. Regina felt the corners of her lips turn up, and her eyes shut briefly as her cheeks filled with heat.

Her eyes jolted open when a small body pressed into and wrapped around her own. She looked down to see Henry burying his face against her chest. She felt Emma's hand wrapped around hers, tugging it from her pocket. Tentatively she lifted her other hand to stroke her son's hair. "Happy new year, Henry," she murmured, bending slightly to press her lips to the top of his head.


End file.
